Introducing: Job
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There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
God, Man, and Trouble
God, Man, and Trouble
Job asks the big questions: why do bad things happen to good people? Is my suffering always connected to my sin? What is the right response to evil in my life?
The heart of the book of Job is suffering. A theme so universally experienced that it is no wonder the book is still relevant in our day.
But if the heart of the question is suffering, then the beating of that heart, or the blood coursing through that heart is this question: is God just in my suffering?
That is an age-old question that is so thoroughly asked that it even has its own name - Theodicy. The justification of God in light of evil. If God is good, how can there be evil? If God is in control, how can he allow evil?
These, and other major themes, run through the book in a beautiful, poetic way. God has given us this story in a remarkable fashion for our learning.
Job the Book
Job the Book
First, the boring details. What about Job as a book of literature?
Well, for starters, Job has fascinated literary scholars for millenia because it is beautifully crafted. But as much as it has fascinated them, it has also confused them.
For starters, we don’t know who wrote the book of Job. There really aren’t even any good guesses! Now, it is part of the scriptural record, and so we know from God’s testimony that it is inspired by Him and in a sense, then, given by Him. But, much like the book of Hebrews, though it is one of the most intense and deep writings in all of the Bible, its human penman is unknown to us. Perhaps that is for a reason - perhaps we would elevate the human author if we knew them, and miss the speaking of God within.
Since we don’t know who wrote it, we don’t know when it was written either! As far as the story goes, though, we have some broad clues.
For instance, Job is seen as a man who fears God, and he is also seen as a man who offers sacrifices for his family. How does that help us? Well, if he fears God but also offers sacrifices, then he must have lived before the time of the levitical priesthood, because that would never have been allowed or seen as a righteous act after that time.
For reasons such as that, it is most likely that the story of Job is one of the oldest stories in the Bible. Perhaps even older than the story of Abraham.
Which is fascinated, because we see then, that before the giving of the law, before the wonderful poetry of David was written, before God delivered his people from any number of calamities and from captivities also, we see that the simple experience of mankind before God is one of trusting God while not knowing all the answers.
More about Job the book, Job is a big book of poetry. Beautiful Hebrew poetry.
Now, as you read it, it might not come across as poetry as we know it, because the words don’t rhyme. But Hebrew poetry is not a rhyming of words, though sometimes they did, but rather it is a poetry of ideas and thoughts.
It is a poetry of comparisons and contrasts. Parallel lines that emphasize and color truths in different ways. The poetry of the Hebrews is like looking at a diamond from all its different facets. At the end, you aren’t left with one summary, but you are left with an experience of seeing the different perspectives and knowing they all come together in the fulness of the picture.
Look at Job 28 with me for a minute.
So Job is beautiful poetry, meant to be memorable, meant to be meaningful, but it is also a story.
Job is opened and closed by prose, or an account. The first two chapters introduce us to Job and the calamity he goes through, and the last chapter closes with a story of how God rewards him and restores his blessing.
Outline
Job 1-2, Job and his Trouble
Job 3-37, Job and his Friends
Job 38-42, Job and His God
Second section, three cycles of friends and one final friend.
Job the Story
Job the Story
As a story, Job starts off with an introduction to the man Himself, which we will look at together in a few moments.
The story quickly turns from the normal to the unimaginable, however, when we enter a scene of Yahweh’s throneroom and an amazing glimpse at the reporting of the angels before Him.
A hint already that there is more going on than we can possibly recognize.
Amazingly, in this heavenly reporting, the accuser, or the Satan, comes onto the scene.
The Lord describes to Satan, and asks if he has considered him? Have you noticed this, my servant, who fears and obeys me so wonderfully?
Satan cannot believe, however, that Job is so loyal to God simply because God is God, but he asserts that his loyalty must be due to the comforts, blessings, and wealth that he has given.
So, remarkably, the Lord assents to Satan’s plea for testing, and gives Job over into the accuser’s hand.
What follows, then, is a series of testing tragedies. The destruction of his wealth, the destruction of his children, and then the destruction of his heatlh.
Finally, even his wife offers nothing but a bitter blow and says, “curse God and die.”
Most of the book of Job, then, comes from three friends doing their best to “help” Job.
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
They came, and sat for a week with Job before they said anything. And here is a spoiler, them just sitting there in silence was probably the most helpful thing they did.
Job was the first to speak, and chapter 3 is where the poetry of Job begins.
As we look at the speeches of Job’s friends and Job’s responses, we will do so, not because they have all the answers - because sometimes it is difficult to know whether what they are saying is true or false, but we will look at them to in part understand this - it is part of our human walk before God to question. It is part of our experience to wonder.
Even in Job’s bitterness, he didn’t curse God. And Even though God had to adjust Job’s attitude, God did not curse Job. Job turned back to God, and God blessed him.
Job, the name, actually seems to come from a root of “turning again” or “returning”
That is where the book is going. It is God reminding man of who he is, that his ways are higher, and man returning to Him.
In the middle is our experience. Our experience of waiting. Our experience of wondering. Our experience of depression. Our experience of frustration. Our experience of bad advice from friends. Our experience of tumultuous emotions. Our experience of good days and bad days.
Those experiences are not final. The friends are not final. The depression is not final. God is final.
Job the Man - Vs. 1-5
Job the Man - Vs. 1-5
Job’s Land
Job’s Land
A man - that is how the story opens.
frail, finite. Not God. Not the answer.
Uz - We don’t know exactly where “uz” was, but we have some clues.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
Uz is a real name of a real location, also of a real people. Uz was one of Shem’s grandchildren, Abraham had a nephew named Uz, and Genesis 36 records an Edomite named Uz.
It is most likely that last one who gave his name to the land of Uz, and that coupled with the quote from Lamentations means it was probably near Edom.
Job, then, lived outside of Israel. Probably before Israel was even a nation. He was a Gentile patriarch, then, in a sense. He is not part of Abraham’s family, but is one of the faithful that apparently retains honor for God from creation.
Job had a simple faith, uncomplicated by what would become that national saga of God’s people Israel. He feared God and hated evil. He knew God in a simple way, and God knew Him intimately.
Apart from the trappings of religion, outside of what would be the center of religion, there was a man known by God. Faithful to God.
Job’s Luxury
Job’s Luxury
Job was a man, but he was a blessed man.
Seven sons and three daughters
notice the children are first mentioned. They are the highlight of his rich blessings.
7,000 Sheep
3,000 Camels
1000 Oxen
500 *female Donkeys
“the greatest of the easterners”
Everything across the Jordan river for an Israelite was “east.”
Known by those around as great for his wealth, as well as Satan, but known by God for his fear of Him.
Job’s Love
Job’s Love
His sons would hold a feast each on his day
perhaps a birthday
a grand feast
indicative of the wealth they shared
Job would consecrate them
concerned with purity in spite of so many riches
1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV)
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Not only for himself was Job concerned, but he was concerened for his children as well.
His love and fear of God extended to his love for his children.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
What was Job’s greatest fear, it seems? That his children might have cursed God.
Job 1:5 (ESV)
And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Matthew
A host of temptations to curse God
A host of temptations to turn away from God
A host of temptations to charge God foolishly
What will be your view of God when things are good?
What will be your view of God when things are bad?